IELTS Essay Topic: High Salaries of Celebrities
Example Answer by Jeenn Lee Hsieh 谢振礼
ielts360toefl@hotmail.com 留学英语写作课程人民币60元
Proverb: "Comparisons are odious".
雅思>IELTS Writing Topic:
In many countries people working in sports and entertainment earn much more money than professionals like doctors, nurses and teachers. Why do you think this happens in some societies, and do you consider it is good or bad?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
托福>Related TOEFL Essay Topic:
Some famous athletes and entertainers earn millions of dollars every year. Do you think these people deserve high salaries?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
谢振礼>Sample Essay (by Jeenn Lee Hsieh):
In this age of mass media, it is easy to see that celebrities get a great deal more of money than do those professionals in other fields, such as doctors, nurses and teachers. The more interesting question is why do these famous personalities earn tens of millions of dollars for being able to sing, dance, act or kick a ball? Of course, the answer to this question about income imbalance depends on whom you ask.
Some people regard it as unfair that celebrities should earn such high salaries. This opinion is widely shared in may countries (including the United States), where sports and entertainment are big businesses and where famous athletes and show-men and show-women earn millions and millions of dollars every year. In contrast, the mean annual wage of a surgeon, which is considered one of the highest paying jobs in America, is just a little more than $225,000; and for a school teacher or a professional nurse, the salary is around $55,000 a year, according to the recent U.S. statistics. How can so much money be thrown around the world of professional sports and entertainment when medical and educational systems seem to be failing due to lack of funds? How can the rather angry public make sense of such 'financial injustice'?
However, there are others who think that the best athletes and entertainers are worth every penny of the astronomical incomes, according to the theory of supply and demand. This happens, thanks of course to the 24/7 exposure in the mass media outlets ranging from television to the Internet. So, even though many people are outraged by the enormous salaries of these celebrities, actually the fans are the ones responsible for the salaries which those most famous persons receive every year. Furthermore, in this increasingly globalized market, prices are set dependent on what the consumer wants, and most importantly, what the consumer is willing to pay. For that matter, how can super stars be blamed for being able to make much more money than, say, doctors, nurses and teachers? Jokingly, are the critics of this phenomenon getting jealous of the shining stars in the galaxy of fame?
It is a matter of opinion about whether it is good or bad that celebrities get lots of money. The truth is that only a few talents sing, dance, act or kick a ball the way they do. After all, it is pointless to compare the salaries of doctors, nurses and teachers with those of outstanding athletes and entertainers because, as the saying goes, "comparisons are odious". (Essay created by Jeenn Lee Hsieh, ielts360toefl@hotmail.com 购买谢振礼写作讲义人民币60元 )
外教范文>Sample Essay (from www.dcielts.com):
起
It is undoubtedly true that there is a major imbalance between the salaries of the professional classes and celebrities from the worlds of sport and entertainment. At first sight, this seems unjust, but on closer analysis it is easy to understand why it happens and see that it is almost inevitable.
承
It does often seem wrong that certain people should earn so much money when their only talent is to entertain. While giving pleasure is important, people in the medical and educational professions have far more important roles in society. For example, a surgeon can save your life in the operating theater and a teacher can prepare you for your career. Indeed, because both doctors and teachers are so vital to society, it would seem only right that they receive the largest financial rewards.
转
When, however, we look to see who earns the most, we discover that it is typically sports and entertainment personalities. There are a variety of reasons why this should be. Firstly, we live in the age of mass media: these people earn so much because they are national or even global stars and get rewarded through endorsements and other sources of income. Secondly, these stars are unique in a way doctors and teachers are not; often they can do what no one else can. Finally, sometimes these stars may have short careers in comparison with other professions. For instance, while doctors can work until they are 65, footballers normally retire in their early 30s.
合
I personally believe that in the ideal world, someone's income would relate to their value to society. However, in the modern world, it is almost unavoidable the famous will have the highest incomes because of their media exposure. (DC IELTS)
#Guided practice:
Practice--Do not 'memorize' long introductory paragraphs. Avoid using templates in the essay introduction.
Seeing both sides--Whatever your real opinion is, it is important to see both sides of the argument when preparing IELTS writing topics (Task 2)
Write an introduction to your essay in response to the following topics:
1>Many parents believe that children benefit from taking part in clubs or extra classes outside normal school hours. Others feel that children should spend their time with their family when they are not in school. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
2>Some people believe that prison is not an effective method of reducing crime. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? How could we stop criminals from re-offending?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
Tips from Simon: How to write an essay with a good introduction?(不代表谢振礼的引言作法)
www.ielts-simon.com This website is very popular world-wide, with its daily lessons as well as its eBook "Ideas for IELTS Essay Topics". Simon's ideas are useful for beginning writers when composing body paragraphs. Simon also teaches how to write introductions (and conclusions).
>How to write an essay?
English composition: Your thesis should be well-focused, your structure should be well-organized, and your content should be well-supported.
Content>Your content must include relevant ideas from your knowledge or experience.
Structure>It is logical to organize a 4-paragraph structure.
Thesis>Write your thesis statement to present your opinion in response to the question.
>How to write an introduction?
Simon 提到引言 Introduction，只写两句话。
第一句话是交待"introduce"问题"topic/question"的背景，
第二句话是提出立场"position/opinion"来回答问题。
2 sentences in the introduction:
What is the question (topic/task) about?
What is your answer (position/opinion)?
>举5个例子：
The following 5 examples (posted by www.ielts-simon.com) illustrate ONE METHOD to compose an introduction. Stick to this method if you have no more effective method in mind.
(提示： 建议考生坚持一种适合自己思路的方法来写引言。习惯成自然。如果大家都是用同一样方式写引言，则评分考官会感到沉闷无聊。)
1>The current trend toward teleworking is a positive one in many respects. However, I strongly disagree with the idea that it should be introduced in all work contexts. (Example posted by ielts-simon, Wednesday 09, April 2014)
2>People have different opinions about whether we are more or less dependent on others nowadays. In my opinion, modern life forces us to be more independent than people were in the past. (Example posted by ielts-simon, Wednesday 26, March 2014)
3>Technological progress has taken place throughout the course of human history. While early technologies changed the lives of normal people, I believe that recent breakthroughs have had an even greater impact. (Example posted by ielts-simon, Wednesday 12, March 2014)
4>It is true that many people criticize modern society because it seems to be too materialistic. I agree with this to some extent, but I do not think it is the case that everyone is a victim of consumer culture. (Example posted by ielts-simon, Wednesday 29, January 2014)
5>People have different opinions about whether governments should help senior citizens. Although I accept that we all have a responsibility to save money for retirement, I disagree with the idea that elderly people should have no support from the state. (Example posted by ielts-simon, Wednesday 18 December, 2014)
>Introduction writing tips: examples a-b-c-d-e
(Examples from http://www.editenglish.com )
(提示：引言的写法如下.)
a>Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes while others believe that the classes should be optional. I believe that students should absolutely required to attend classes, and I will explain my reasons below.
b>If I could invent something new, I would develop a chemical germ detector with an attached protection kit that could be worn on the body. This invention is needed because there is a real danger of chemical terrorism in the world. We are not medically equipped to handle such a disaster. Such a device might help to save thousands of lives.
c>People have two options when deciding where to eat. They can prepare meals and eat at home or they can go out to stands or restaurants. I prefer to go out to eat because the food is more varied and interesting, and it is less work for me and save time.
d>There are many good reasons to live in a big city and an equal number of good reasons to live in a small town. I prefer to live in a small town because it is more personal and homey; it is easier to get around in; and it is safer than a big city.
e>It is better for children to participate in team sorts than individual sports. In team sports, children learn how to cooperate. They learn good sportsmanship and how to rely on their teammates. These are important lessons that will benefit children throughout their lives.
>谢振礼 Jeenn Lee Hsieh 引言: 3 sentences
1. 申论主题--回答问题，不是重复问题。(Present your position as the thesis statement in direct response to the question.)
2. 集中焦点--缩小问题，不是扩大问题。(Narrow the scope of the thesis into your focus so as to avoid being off-topic.))
3. 话分两头--针对问题，不是逃避问题。(Say what you are going to say in 2 body paragraphs. This sentence will show how the essay is organized and make up the body of your essay.)
Most essays use an introduction to pose a position and establish what is coming next in the body paragraphs. Great introductions are so captivating and to the point that the reader wants to learn more.
